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The first time my dog had a reaction I took him to the vet. She said it looked like a contact allergy. He was put on antibiotics, a spray and it went away. A few weeks later it was back. It comes up in one area, kind of starts to dry out and comes out somewhere else. They are round red irritated marks with small bumps. We don't have fleas.

Once it broke out we used EQyss Micro Tek pet spray. It helped the outbreak, but did not stop it from spreading.

The vet had mentioned if it keeps coming back he could be allergic to his own bacteria. (sounds crazy to me), but I thought maybe he is allergic to something he comes in contact with. It's really difficult to rule out what.

After doing quite a bit of research I came across something that has helped a great deal. Providone Iodine. I just put a small amount in a bowl and dilute it to the color of ice tea using warm water. Once a day I just use a wash cloth, squeezing out the water and rub it over is stomach, arm pits and chest. Basically his underside. It's the only place he gets it.

It has really helped him. If I skip a day he will get one small breakout sometimes, but it goes away really fast after is "sponge bath" and it has not been spreading at all like it was.

I would defiantly go to the vet first to determine what type of rash it is.

Trcy, those are the exact areas my Levy is mainly itchy too! She occasionaly has a raised bump that looks like a bug bite, but otherwise the itchy spots are just red and irritated. I will get iodine tomorrow and see if that helps. Is this something you will have to do for him for the rest of his life? Have you determined what is it caused by, like a contact allergy that cannot be avoided at this point?

04-05-2014 10:02 PM

Harry and Lola

Many dogs are allergic to chicken, I would swap the kibble to one that is fish based and maybe grain free.

I would also recommend virgin organic coconut oil. Give her 1 teaspoon a day to start with and build up to 2 tablespoons. This product is amazing for treating all sorts of things from the inside out. You can also rub a bit of the oil onto areas that are really itchy. You will definitely notice less scratching.

With the apple cyder vinegar, it is best to use a raw organic apple cyder vinegar with the mother like Braggs.

04-05-2014 08:54 PM

DHau

I second getting your dog tested for allergies. I went round and round trying different foods which frustrated me very much. I have also used the iodine previously posted. It helped.

The first time my dog had a reaction I took him to the vet. She said it looked like a contact allergy. He was put on antibiotics, a spray and it went away. A few weeks later it was back. It comes up in one area, kind of starts to dry out and comes out somewhere else. They are round red irritated marks with small bumps. We don't have fleas.

Once it broke out we used EQyss Micro Tek pet spray. It helped the outbreak, but did not stop it from spreading.

The vet had mentioned if it keeps coming back he could be allergic to his own bacteria. (sounds crazy to me), but I thought maybe he is allergic to something he comes in contact with. It's really difficult to rule out what.

After doing quite a bit of research I came across something that has helped a great deal. Providone Iodine. I just put a small amount in a bowl and dilute it to the color of ice tea using warm water. Once a day I just use a wash cloth, squeezing out the water and rub it over is stomach, arm pits and chest. Basically his underside. It's the only place he gets it.

It has really helped him. If I skip a day he will get one small breakout sometimes, but it goes away really fast after is "sponge bath" and it has not been spreading at all like it was.

I would defiantly go to the vet first to determine what type of rash it is.

For medicinal purposes, you would need to use the organic apple cider vinegar that has the "mother" in it. Bragg's is a good one. You can usually purchase it at a local health food store.

That is a perfect guide to keep, thanks so much!

I purchased some organic unfiltered ACV and sprayed her earlier today, no relief yet I want to try and slowly change some things so I can hopefully narrow down the actual cause of the itching, whether it be bug bites, allergies, or something more serious. She is almost out of food so Ill get something grain free next. I had her on a grain free brand for a couple weeks before but she was going to the bathroom almost immediately after eating (2-3 hours) so we switched because I felt she was not getting any nutrients from it. Is that a characteristic of all grain free foods, or maybe just specific to my dog?

One other symptom I forgot to mention was a small pink bump on her lower lip line. I've read online it could either be a canine wart or an allergic reaction as well, any thoughts about what could cause it? I'm assuming it's related to the itching, I noticed the bump maybe a week or so ago.

Since 75% of disease or problems begin in the gut, you may want to give your dog a digestive enzyme/pro-biotic combination which also helps build up the immune system:
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For medicinal purposes, you would need to use the organic apple cider vinegar that has the "mother" in it. Bragg's is a good one. You can usually purchase it at a local health food store.

I would not use and oatmeal based shampoo because if your dog is sensitive to grains, it will only make the itching worse.

If you find out that it is a reaction/allergy to flea bites, I used the 2 following homeopathic's as they both have a different "remedies" in the mixture. You can give one remedy two times in a day and the other one, one time. Then the next day switch it up to the opposite of what you gave the previous day. Homeopathic remedies are given in a "clean mouth" which means no food or water for 20 minutes on either side of the dosages. The remedies come in a dropper bottle, but you don't want to use the dropper to squirt the remedy into your dogs mouth. If the dropper touches the dogs mouth and then is placed back into the bottle, it will "foul" the mixture and it will loose the potency. It's best to drop the liquid on to a teaspoon and then gently lift the dogs lip and drizzle it in. Homeopathic's are absorbed by the blood vessels/tissues in the mouth which which rapidly distributes it through the system.

This could be so many things. Or a combination of things.
My advise: Start simple with a vet visit. Rule out mites or mange.
Keep using the coconut oil. It can take days to weeks to see the benefit. Try to reduce the bathing as it dries the skin out. If you must bathe use a good conditioner. I really like Bio-Groom Super Cream coat Conditioner. Or, give Levy a good rub down with coconut oil, working into his fur and down to the skin.

If fleas are the problem: you may have to use a topical to get them under control immediately (some on here will have a fit with this advise). you can also try DE (diatomaceous earth) to treat your dog and your house and yard. DE is pet/human safe and homeopathic. There are several threads on this.

Having a dog with a lot of food sensitivities , my best advise is this:

If you think it is food don't try to guess, TEST. I suspected chicken and pork were issues for my girl. I was right. BUT, I was totally thrown when I found out she was sensitive to peanuts, which she was getting peanut butter several time a week. Salmon sensitivity also surprised me as I was giving salmon oil daily to keep her skin and coat healthy and shiny.
You can have your vet test or you can send for the NutriScan test (the one I did).NutriScan Food Sensitivity and Intolerance Test for Cats and Dogs
I'll be honest it is not cheap. However, I wasted a lot of money on different foods trying to figure it out on my own with no good results. Ended up food testing anyway. Testing up front will save you so much money in the long run. And it will save you and Levy from months of itching, hair loss and misery.

One day at a time. Keep a log or diary of symptoms/improvements.

Don't despair...We are here for you and Levy! Best of Luck!

04-04-2014 11:07 AM

DutchKarin

I had an Aussie with allergies. First off, mange is not that hard to treat in a young dog, so don't freak about that. I would work with a vet first to see what they find, blood tests etc. A lot of vets out there have keen interest in dermatology, so find one of them. Make sure the flea thing is taken care of and any internal parasites first. I don't think flea collars are that affective. I use advantix II. Then I would go to a limited ingredient diet (LID). Natural Balance has a lot of them. Pick a novel (never before had) protein and carb. There are probably other LIDs. A diet test takes 12 weeks, so don't expect instant results. Use the kibble as treats, no cheating. I actually had a skin test done on my dog and he had lots of environmental reactions. Bigger cities have vets who are dermatologists only. We did shots for a year with no luck and then antihistamines with a little luck. I just managed and it was okay. Actually got better as he aged and I lost him at 13 years old a week and a half ago. But that is my story. It becomes a bit of a mystery at times. Good luck and don't freak out.

Immune supplement pills can help fight mange, they helped my GSD get over his Demodex Mange. My GSD doesn't have a great immune system so I put him on a multivitamin plus pill that specifically says it helps support the immune system, coat/skin and joints.

What brand of immune supplement do you use? Can it be any kind of human vitamin with immune support?

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